Foam production



Aug. 25, 1936. v. G. w. GILBERT FOAM PRODUCTION Filed June 8, 1955 Patented Aug. 25, 1936 FOAM raoDUcnoN Victor George William Gilbert, London, England,

assignor, by mesne assignments, to American- La France-Foamite Corporation, a corporatie! of New York 'Application .rune s.' 193s, semi No. euses -m crm man. :une 1o, 1932 3 Claims.

The object of the invention is the preparation of mechanically produced or so-called air foam by a method and apparatus in which the gaseous and liquid ingredients-are quickly and eiliciently 5 converted into foam without requiring to be beaten or otherwise treated as heretofore, and is accomplished by introducing the saidv ingredients into a mixing chamber, and so commingling them, while maintaining the chamber under suction, that the foam is produced therein ready for immediate discharge onto the iire by suitable pump, which latter comprises also the source of the suction applied to the mixing chamber.

A preferred form of the invention is shown, partly in section and partly in diagram, in Fig. 1 :I i1the accompanying drawing, Fig. 2 being a dea The body of the foam producer unit consists of a mixing chamber l into which the ingredients 2o are admitted as below described and which is shown as a T-pipe having 'an extension 2 connected to the intake side of a rotary pump 3, preferably of the vane type, which serves to maintain the chamber under suction 'and to deliver 25 the foam through a discharge line 4.

'I'he gaseous ingredient, which is air in this case, is admitted to the mixing chamber through a controlled port inL the end of theT-pipe remote from the extension 2, the head 5 of screw 6 0 serving to vary the ow through orices` I whence the air preferably discharges into the chamber through a converging nozzle 8, whereby its-ve locity is increased.

The air and liquid streams are arranged transv 40 The ends of these pipes within the mixing chamber are so located as to discharge the liquid ingredients therein adjacent the air nozzle, the pump-induced iiow from the latter sweeping across the path of the liquids. and immediately 45 expanding them into foam. fr The admission of the liquid ingredients to the mixing chamber, whether from separate sources of supply as indicated or pre-mixed. is also sub.

ject to controlor may be predetermined as to 50 quantity by the 'size of the inlets. thisbeing ace (ci. zei-2s) complished in the form shown by means of a cap Il closing the ends of pipes 9 and l0 and having a number of small holes I2 (the outerfones of als" and the inner bore) through which the water and stabilizer are metered in the required proportions and discharges in a series of jets. Highly satisfactory results are obtained by constituting the foam of 90% air, 9.8% water and 0.2% saponine. As above described, the fora^ reaching the pump and by the physical ac-l tion of the suction induced air stream on theliquid ingredients, the sources of supply of which may be at a slight head above cap Il to insure more immediate and thorough mingling of the 15 streams.

I claim: 1. Foam producing apparatus comprising the combination of a mixing chamber, a plurality of jet-forming inlets to the chamber connected-to .a

source of supply of water and foamstabilizer and predetermined to meter the liquid ingredients into the mixing chamber in the required proportions, means for admittingl air into the chamber transversely of and into the liquid jets and a pump -connected to withdrawnand discharge the air v and liquid ingredients entering said chamber, thereby maintaining the same under suction.

2. Foam producing apparatus comprising a delivery pump, a mixing chamber connected to the intake thereof, means for introducing a plurality of fine streams of foam forming liquid into said chamber under the suction of the pump, and an air admission port through which air-is drawn into said chamber by the pump suction, said port located to direct the entering air across said' streams of liquid. l

3. Foam producing apparatus comprising a pump, a mixing chamber connected tothe intake' thereof and thereby'maintained under suction, 40 separate sources of supply of water and av foam forming solution eachhaving a connection to the mixing chamber terminating in an inlet thereto having a plurality `of restricted orices, whereby said water and solution are separately admitted to the chamber in the form of iine streams, and an air inlet to the chamber adapted to admit air thereto in a direction of iiow vacross the paths of said plural liquid streams.

vieron GEORGE WILLIAM GILBERT.

i'oam is produced bel0 

